SOUNDCLOUD (Calvin Wong and Mo Xu)

PROGRAM NOTES

The Poetic Oboe
Unremembered Wings was commissioned by Andrea Gullickson who premiered the work at the International Double Reed Society Convention in West Virginia, August, 2001. The piece was inspired by Pablo Neruda’s poem entitled “La Poesia”(translated by Whyte/Bly) which speaks of the creative fire within our souls, that mysterious and wild place where dreams become manifest. Unremembered Wings is recorded on Crystal Records, The Poetic Oboe (CD727, www.crystalrecords.com), with Andrea Gullickson, oboe and Karen Enns, piano. This arrangement for soprano saxophone was made by the composer for Kenneth Tse, who premiered the work at the World Saxophone Congress, College of Music,
Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, July, 2009.

LISTEN TO OBOE VERSION

RECORDING

REVIEW

“…a true chamber ensemble piece, with intricate interplay between the two instruments. This is a substantive and substantial work.”
-Jerry Dublins, Fanfare Magazine, November/December, 2004

QUOTE

“For those of you interested in good recital music for soprano saxophone and piano, I highly recommend Andrea Clearfield’s Unremembered Wings!”
-Susan Fancher, Saxophone Journal, November/December 2009

EXCERPT FROM LA POESIA BY PABLO NERUDA

“…and something started in my soul,
fever or unremembered wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open…”